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We posted something earlier in the morning about the coming re-launch of Sporting News and the introduction of Sporting News Today. The information was based on an article in the New York Times; Sporting News has since announced the coming changes in a press release.
One of the key things included in the release is that Sporting News Today will be distributed at no charge to registered users. So it’s the first 365-day per year sports newspaper, and it will arrive in e-mail boxes at no freaking cost.
You can register for it right here.
We’re not being paid a dime to talk about this, but obviously my relationship with SportingNews.com and Sporting News Radio has caused this development to catch my attention more profoundly than it otherwise would have.
Jeff D’Alessio will be the Editor-in-Chief of Sporting News and Sporting News Daily. “The changes we’re making, including adding a host of well-known writers and contributors, will undoubtedly provide sports fans with the insider knowledge they covet, while providing our company with a clear point-of-differentiation versus other sports media organizations,” D’Alessio said.
Other writers in addition to those identified by the New York Times include John Elway, Rick Barry, Tony Stewart, Greg Oden, John Feinstein, and Roger Kahn.
“We acquired Sporting News in 2006 because of the brand’s rich heritage and belief that it can become the premiere news source for the die-hard sports fan,” said Whitney Shaw, President of Sporting News. “We are convinced with these changes the ‘new’ Sporting News will be the ultimate multi-media destination for serious sports fans.”
June 10th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
This is a pretty stellar idea and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it pop up all over the place once it gets going. Major props to the Sporting News for being the first to take the major plunge into an e-paper.
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June 10th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Is it the first 365 day per year sports newspaper? There was a short-lived one in the early 90s whose name escapes me, and that one was actually, you know, on paper as the name newspaper implies. I bought this newspaper occasionally from a box on my way to high school.
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June 10th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
What about SportsBusiness Daily?
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June 10th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Dear Mr. Florio,
I just wanted to let you know that your boys over at The Sporting News are smoking something that starts with a C and ends with a ACK. I was looking over the predicted finish in the NFC North.
1. Green Bay 11-5 predicted finish
2. Chicago 10-6
3. Vikings 9-7
4. Detroit 3-13
Now I am a Vikings fan, but I am also a realist. I am not saying that the orders of the predictions are wrong. After all it is only a prediction. But who the heck thinks three teams in the NFC North are going to be over .500. And what kind of pipe dream is someone having to think Chicago is going to be 10-6. They have made no moves to improve; No one is coming back off of injury that will make an impact, and Brian Urlacker has a bad back. Green Bay and Minnesota both have ?’s for Quarterbacks. But I would give the edge to Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers came out of college fairly solid and has had three years to learn the Offense. But Chicago has proven that the QB’s on their roster are subpar. They now have no running game literally. And the Defense is not getting any younger. The only way they could get to 10-6 is if every team on the schedule has some sort of catastrophic injury to multiple key players. Sorry to rant but hey. When The Sporting News throws out those kinds of numbers that writer needs to be kicked in the head. This prediction defies all odds; the only way it would make sense is if Chicago is the major market for the magazine. In that case they are just stroking their reader’s egos and not basing it on any type off season research.
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June 10th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Kudos to TSN for being the first to get it, even if it took a few tries- why they were so clue impaired when they were owned by a supposed technology wizard like Paul Allen is a total mystery to me.
While push content (like mailing lists) is hardly new, it is infinitely more appropriate than pull technologies in this case- especially given that a majority of surfers in North America will be using mobile devices within 10 years. (Already true in much of the world)
Even when I have a wide screen in front of me, I’m sick of having to browse ransom-note websites with 80% of the page area taken by ads and chrome. Hopefully, the format will feature a better balance between content and revenue.
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